Space Shuttle lessons for private pilots, with Charlie Precourt

From the Space Shuttle to F-15 fighter jets to his homebuilt VariEze, Charlie Precourt approaches every flight with the same discipline. In this episode he shares some of the lessons learned from his one-of-a-kind career, including the power of visualization, realistic personal minimums, and flight training that goes beyond checking the box. Charlie also shares some fascinating stories from his days at NASA, including landing the Space Shuttle and docking with the Mir space station. In the Ready to Copy segment, Charlie talks about underrated airplanes, flying with a test pilot’s mindset, and lessons learned from Russian pilots.

SHOW LINKS:

* The biggest myth in aviation: ⁠https://flighttrainingcentral.com/2025/08/the-biggest-myth-in-aviation-that-great-pilots-are-defined-by-great-flying-skills/⁠

* Space Shuttle landing video: https://youtu.be/q5qyOWv0fHk

* Pilot’s Tip of the Week: https://pilotworkshop.com/tip